Film-developing apparatus



July 17, 1923.

H. c. F. MORANT FILM. DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed July 12, 1921 Patented July 17, 1923.

HENRY G. FRANK 1W3 FELM-DEVELZJPING A1 1.

Application filed July 152 To all whom a may concern: 7 e it known that HENRY firmness lllORANT, a subject of the in of Britain, residing at Monbulk, 1

Road, Hawthorn, in the Etate Commonwealth of Australia, has 11 certain new and useful Improvements Film-Developing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of an apparatus capable of being used in daylight for developing all the negatives of a film imultaneously, means being provided for unwinding the film and for permitting observation of the progress of development.

Briefly stated the film spool is fitted in a frame adapted to be placed in a contains for the developing solution means being provided for unwinding the film in said container for the simultaneous development of all the negatives said container being pro vided with means to permit observations of the film whilst preventing passage of actinic light rays. in order that the apparatus may be compactly constructed a short deep container is provided and the film when unwound is suitably supported on the frame in circuitous folds or loose coils and in such manner that the sensitized surface is free to contact with any bject in the container. In a practical form for the latter purpose, the film is drawn off the spool by a winding roller and passed to and fro over idle roll: ers or the like so as to occupy a staggered path within the container such rollers that face towards the sensitized surface of the film being constructed to contact only with the side margins of the film.

This practical form of the invention is depicted in the accompanying drawings whereof Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the apparatus, and

Fig. 2 transverse section through the frame shown removed from the container.

The apparatus consists of a container for the developing solution formed at one end with a filling compartment 2 into which. solution or water may be poured, said compartment communicating with the interior of the container by means of an aperture 3 formed at the bottom of the adjacent end wall of said container.

The container is formed with one or more panels 4 in the wall formed for instance of ..-T, vrc'ronrn, AUSTRALIA.

res.

Serial No. 484,182.

ruby tinted glass that will admit light on the film l without deleteriously affecting same. The cover 5 f the container may be inclined and made of similar material for observation of the film and it may consist of a slide as illustrated working in guides 6 formed on the edge of the container.

The frame E consists of two vertical sides '7, S, joined at the bottom by bars 9 and means are provided at one end of the frame near the bottom for revolvably supporting the film pool 10.

Above the spool the frame is provided with on or more loose rollers 11 and likewise similar rollers 12 are mounted at the other end of said frame which is provided with suitable means for unwinding the film and passing it forwardly and backwardly over the rollers until the whole length of the filn is unwound with its sensitized surface clear of contact with any object in the container. or this latter purpose the roller 11 (or rollers) at one end of the frame are reduced in diameter between its ends 13 so that only the marginal edges of the sensitized surface of the film contacts with said rollers thus preventing the negative contacting with the roller.

is illustrated the idle rollers 11, 12, are hollow and mounted on axles let fixed to and projecting from side 7 of the frame and the other side o is hinged at the bottom to the 113211119 as at 15 and secured in vertical position by one or more hooks 16 pivoted on the top bar 17 of side 7 and engaging the top bar 18 of the hinged side 8.

The hinged sine 8 is formed with an aperture 19 to receive and support the projecting end 20 of the roller axle 1 L. Said side is also provided with a stud 21 which enters one axial end recess 22 of the film spool 10 a similar stud 23 being provided on the side frame 7 for rotatably support-- in. the other end of said spool.

lne iii-cans illustrated for drawing the film off the s ool and passing same to and fro over the rollers 11, 12, consists of a winding drum 24. mounted in the frame above the spool and rollers, a cord 25 being attached at one end to said drum and adapted be passed over the rollers 12, 11 and 12 as illustrated and be connected to the :26 at the front end of the film F by nouns for instance of a short pin 27 on the 11d of the cord, adapted to be attached to said tag. This drum 2e may be rotated by a crank handle 28, when the slide cover 5 is in closed position, to draw the filmofl' the spool and lead it forwardly and backs wardly over the rollers 12, 11 and 12 in flat folds as shewn in Fig. 1 so that the negative surface is free of contact with any ob- 'ect.

] Vhen one side of the frame is hinged as illustrated the drum 24 is formed with an axial bore and is rotatably mounted on a stub axle 29 projecting from side 7 of the frame and the shaft of the crank handle is passed through an aperture in the side of the container 1 and a coincident bearing aperture 31 in the side 8 of theframe and screwed into the adjacent threaded end of the drum as illustrated in Fig. 2. y

In using the apparatus the hinged side 8 of the frame is lowered as shewn in broken lines Fig. 2, the film spool supported on stud 23, and the end of the cord 25 passed over the rollers 12, 11 and 12 and attached to the tag 26 of the film, when the side 8 is then swung up to support the spool and rollers and secured by the hook 16.

The frame is then placed in the container 1, the ruby glass cover 5 slid into position and the crank handle 28 fixed to the winding drum 24 which is then rotated thus causin the cord 25 to draw the film over the re lers 12 11 and 12 as in Fig. 1. Subsequently the developing solution is poured into the filler compartment 2 and so through aperture 3 into the container till the level is above the contained film.

The development of the film is observed through the glass'eover 5, light being thrown through the ruby tinted glass panel at upon the film.

hen the filmis sutliciently developed the solution is decanted through the filler com-- partmen-t 2, and wash water poured into the latter if desired, and finally the frame is removed from the container, the hinged side lowered, cord 23 detached from the tag 26 and the film disengaged from the rollers by being drawn laterally therefrom.

I claim 1. In film developing apparatus, a container, and removable frame in the container provided at each end with a plurality of rollers around which the film is drawn in circuitous folds, said frame comprising two sides and a base, one side being mov able laterally.

2. A film developing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which one side is hinged and formed with inwardly projecting studs to engage the film spool and with hearing apertures and the rigid side is provided with projecting axles supporting the rollers and a winding drum rotatably mounted on a stub axle on the rigid side and a crank handle with its shaft passed through the containers and the hinged side for attachment to said drumv H. C. FRANK MORANT. 

